As one of the leading research institutions in Asia and the world, HKU upholds the highest standards of professional conduct in research and is well in step with the global trend to encourage discussion andawareness of research integrity.
Recently seminars were organized for new and existing staff, and young and experienced researchers, to reinforce awareness and ensure everyone is on the same page when it comes to the responsible conduct of research.
The three seminars were tailored to different discipline-based research cultures and attended by the Vice-Chancellor, Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Pro-Vice-Chancellors.
Presentations covered such topics as the responsible conduct of research, conflicts of interest, and ethical clearance for human participants in research.
"Through these seminars, we want to raise awareness and let colleagues and the community within and beyond HKU know how much value we place on research integrity and proper research conduct," Professor Paul Tam, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research, said.
Participants were encouraged to share their experiences and views, and case studies were discussed in break-off groups. Some of the issues raised included publication authorship, copyright, patents, data ownership, PhD theses, hiring and appointments, peer review, participant consent, and the ethical review process.
"The seminars provided an interdisciplinary perspective. We learned what others experience and think and we could share information, for example on research design and data collection," Dr Anatoly Oleksiyenko of the Faculty of Education said.
They also were a good refresher course for experienced hands. "We are already aware of the standards and good practice to follow, but seminars such as this are beneficial in reminding us, and they're a good chance to potentially improve what we are doing," Dr Chan Kwok-ping of the Department of Computer Science said.
A fourth seminar is planned for later in the year. In the meantime, participants were introduced to CITI – the Collaborative Institutional Training Institute, a worldwide online training programme for human participants and scientific research ethics. HKU is now a CITI member and modules will be adapted to suit the Hong Kong and Mainland China research context. Our research students are required to undertake CITI modules, and staff are encouraged to access the programme because it provides research integrity training and certification recognized by some US funding bodies.
The three seminars were tailored to different discipline-based research cultures and attended by the Vice-Chancellor, Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Pro-Vice-Chancellors.
Presentations covered such topics as the responsible conduct of research, conflicts of interest, and ethical clearance for human participants in research.
"Through these seminars, we want to raise awareness and let colleagues and the community within and beyond HKU know how much value we place on research integrity and proper research conduct," Professor Paul Tam, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research, said.
Participants were encouraged to share their experiences and views, and case studies were discussed in break-off groups. Some of the issues raised included publication authorship, copyright, patents, data ownership, PhD theses, hiring and appointments, peer review, participant consent, and the ethical review process.
"The seminars provided an interdisciplinary perspective. We learned what others experience and think and we could share information, for example on research design and data collection," Dr Anatoly Oleksiyenko of the Faculty of Education said.
They also were a good refresher course for experienced hands. "We are already aware of the standards and good practice to follow, but seminars such as this are beneficial in reminding us, and they're a good chance to potentially improve what we are doing," Dr Chan Kwok-ping of the Department of Computer Science said.
A fourth seminar is planned for later in the year. In the meantime, participants were introduced to CITI – the Collaborative Institutional Training Institute, a worldwide online training programme for human participants and scientific research ethics. HKU is now a CITI member and modules will be adapted to suit the Hong Kong and Mainland China research context. Our research students are required to undertake CITI modules, and staff are encouraged to access the programme because it provides research integrity training and certification recognized by some US funding bodies.